Resource Library

Disaster Housing Recovery Update, Wednesday, October 18, 2017

GENERAL UPDATES

Potential Misappropriation of Funds. Four members of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Rob Bishop [R-UT-01], Bruce Westerman [R-AR-04], Doug LaMalfa [R-CA-01], Jenniffer González-Colón [PR], sent a request to FEMA Administrator Brock Long requesting a briefing on the recovery efforts. The request is in response to the FBI San Juan Field Office’s announcement that they had received numerous complaints regarding the misuse of funds and emergency supplies by local government officials. The Committee on Natural Resources has requested the report be submitted no later than October 23.

March for Just Recovery. Groups from across the country, including Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Texas Organizing Project (TOP), Vamos4PR, and Organize Florida, rallied outside the Capitol before marching to the Trump Hotel in a “March for Just Recovery.” Speakers at the rally and press conference included residents of Florida and Texas as well as Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

CAL FIRE

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

13 wildfires

210,000 acres burned

5,700 structures destroyed

42 deaths

22,000+ people remain evacuated

HURRICANE MARIA

FEMA

U.S. Virgin Islands

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

2,332 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$1,380,223 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$220,570 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$1,159,653 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

$13,010,427 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

163,131 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$88,081,982 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$11,827,398 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$76,254,584 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

$336,240,256 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Local Perspectives

Expert Advisory Committee. Governor Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands has created an expert advisory committee, the VI Hurricane and Resiliency Advisory Group, to help reconstruction and resiliency efforts following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The group will examine long-term effects of climate change and establish the plan for economic recovery. Clifford Graham, president and CEO of the West Indian Company port facilities and former executive director of the VI Housing Finance Agency, will serve as chairman of the group.

HURRICANE IRMA

FEMA

Florida

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

694,175 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$785,974,389 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$531,925,695 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$254,048,694 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

Georgia

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

8,184 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$10,336,459 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$7,373,603 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$2,962,856 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

U.S. Virgin Islands

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

2,688 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$2,365,721 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$957,906 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$1,407,815 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

$25,056,945 Emergency Work (Categories A-B) dollars obligated**

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA’s final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.

Puerto Rico

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

535 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$1,193,287 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$640,763 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$552,524 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

HURRICANE HARVEY

FEMA

Texas

By the Numbers: (as of 10/18)

332,435 Individual Assistance (IA) applications approved*

$1,218,392,860 Individual & Household Program (IHP) approved*

$947,407,874 Housing Assistance (HA) approved*

$270,984,986 Other Needs Assistance (ONA) approved*

$400,362,511 Public Assistance Grants (PA) obligated** all of which are for Emergency Work (Categories A-B)

*Assistance dollars approved but not necessarily disbursed.

**Funds made available to the State via electronic transfer following FEMA's final review and approval of Public Assistance projects.